Scratching your head wondering how to stop drinking so much?

February 4, 2023

Scratching your head wondering how to stop drinking so much?

Try one of these tried and trusted techniques to reduce your overall alcohol intake.

Knowing when it’s time to cut back on your alcohol intake is an important step in managing your drinking.

If you’re drinking daily or damn as near to it….or if your alcohol use is affecting your daily life, it may be time to reduce the actual amount of alcohol you are having. You may have already asked how to stop drinking so much? …I am thiinking that if you are reading this then this may already be a consideration.

When does drinking become an issue?

Drinking alcohol every night can be a sign of problem drinking.

Of course, many people drink in moderation and it is never a problem for them, but for some people the urge to drink alcohol even when it’s not necessary is there…and this urge can indicate an addiction looming around the corner.

People who use alcohol as an escape or resort to drinking at home even when there are no social events, could also be showing signs of problem drinking.

Regardless of how much one drink is consumed each night, if it’s done every day, then it can quickly lead to an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

To nip the the risk of developing an addiction in the bud, it is important to be aware of your alcohol intake and limit the amount of wine with dinner or only have one glass of wine per evening, for example.

If you have started to drink more than usual and feel like you can’t stop, then it could be time to consider stopping or reducing your alcohol intake and seeking help from a professional if needed.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol abuse and alcohol use disorder are clinically diagnosable, serious medical conditions that often require help from a health professional.

Alcohol is a nasty, strong and very addictive drug that gets a grip of you, then continues to do so – without some form of conscious intervention.

Not only by reducing the amount that we drink can we gain better overall health, it can also help reduce the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder.

If you’re having difficulty cutting back on your own, there are several options out there to consider.

I would ALWAY recommend to anyone who has been using alcohol to excess, to meet up with a health professional before drastically reducing alcohol intake. If not to actually use their support, simply to give yourself an MOT and make sure that there is nothing else underlying due to heavy drinking.

There are many treatments available to help manage problem drinking, and working with a qualified health professional can provide you with the support and guidance necessary to regain control of your alcohol intake.

Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one’s health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work. It messes with all aspects of your life.

Initially, it involves drinking more than the recommended daily limit and can lead to the physical, mental and social problems.

Alcohol abuse is often accompanied by risky behaviors such as driving while intoxicated or engaging in unprotected sex. It can also lead to long-term health issues such as liver disease, pancreatitis and certain types of cancer.

Additionally, alcohol abuse often leads to financial distress due to increased spending on alcohol and decreased productivity at work or school.

How to Know When It’s Time to Cut Back

be aware when it is time to cut back drinking alcohol

Some say, when we know, we know. Unfortunately, this is not ofthen the case.

As we have read – Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking alcohol that leads to significant impairment or distress.

These patterns can be evident.

And I am goiing to go aganst the grain here, against my own beliefs. Yes we all have our own journeys, reasons, cars that life has dealt us….but the one thing that reamins throughout are patterns. Increased alcohol intake, longer periods, eariler starts.

We all approach the drunken path in different ways, but we have very similar journeys.

When is it time to cut back? I think we are all aware of the signs that we should at least consider cutting back on alcohol. Reading information like this online has surely at least made you consider that you should cut back or be aware of how much you are drinking.

By searching for ‘how do I stop drinking so much’ and it has led you here….well it is probably already somewhere in your mind.

Or you could have been faced with alcohol-related problems such as legal, financial, or relationship issues, or physical health problems as a result of drinking too much.

As we all know, alchol can also put you in situations that you would not normally dream of being in.

Alcohol changes your personality, this is a fact. Sober you would not do many things that drunk you would – driving a car under the influelce of alcohol, potentially handing yourself a prison sentance. Unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections, lying and hiding from friends and family.

These are just some of the crazy behaviours that are normalised when it comes to drinking to excess.

If someone suspects they may have an issue with alcohol abuse, they should seek professional help. Treatment may include counseling and medications to help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Knowing when it’s time to cut back on alcohol can be difficult. If you find that your alcohol intake has become more than one drink a day, it may be time to consider cutting back.

If you are struggling with slowing down or stopping drinking – there are now lots of options and support out there – but my strong advice would be to seem professional medical help int he first instance.

Even if you are not wishing to go down the medical or therapy route, seeing a medical professional, getting bloods checked, physically being looked over is a very good move, if anything just to cancel out any further damage that you might have caused due to excessive drinking.

If you need to stop drinking altogether, there are many resources available to help you make this lifestyle change. Seeking advice from a healthcare professional is an important step in managing your own health and well-being.

Plan to handle urges to drink.

If you are looking to change your relationship with alcohol, there are a few tips that can help.

First and foremost, it is important to be honest with yourself about the role that alcohol plays in your life and the impact it has on your mental and physical health.

Firstly, it is of vital importance that you are totally honest with yourself. Be honest about why you drink, what role alcohol plays in your life and how it is affecting your life.

The next solid piece of advice to stop drinking so much is to set goals, but make them realistic. Do this for yourself. Be kind to yourself. By setting unrealistic goals, we can often be settiing ourselves up for a fall.

When looking at why we drink, explore alternatives to a given situation. Bad news at work – knowing that this has always been a trigger to drink…..think in advance and put other coping mechanisms in place, before reaching for the drink is the obvious choice.

By implementing these tips into your lifestyle, you can create a much healthier relationship with alcohol.

How To Stop Drinking So Much – Practical Tips

When you experience an urge to drink, it is important to have a plan in place to help you handle it. If you have an alcohol use disorder, your plan should focus on limiting the amount of alcohol you consume. Even if you are not diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, it is still important to limit how much alcohol you drink and avoid drinking altogether if necessary. Moderate drinking is defined as two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. If you find that you are dependent on alcohol or struggle with drinking habits, avoiding drinking altogether may be the best plan for handling urges to drink. Having support from family and friends can also help when managing urges to drink too much alcohol. [[Heading:]] Strategies to help you stop drinking alcohol every night[[Try to include the following terms:]] stop drinking, drink alcohol, alcohol every, stop drinking alcohol, addiction to alcohol, urge to drink, alcohol in your house, help you feel, cut back, relationship with alcoholCompetitors who wrote about it:https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/how-to-stop-drinking-alcohol-every-night

Measure your drinks

measure your drinks

If we drink in bars, restaurants or other similar places then you can get a good understanding of exactly how much alcohol you have consumed, as often drinks are sold by measures.

At home, it is a bit of a different ball game – well it certainly was for me. Measurements don’t/didn’t really come into it all at home. A glass or jug is just that. Honestly, I gave very little consideration into actual measurements. More like just counting drinks – but the actual amount, not so much.

Track your intake

You might be surprised if you actually track your alcohol intake. Try it for a week or two. Maybe don’t even consider changing your lifestyle or drinking habits at all. Simply write it down somewhere, then tot up the results at the end. This alone might be fantastic motivation to consider drinking less.

Tell family members and friends you want to get healthier.

Family and friends can be a great support network, for sure. But by telling people your choices about stopping drinking so much, you are dipping into the world of ‘accountability’ for your words. This is a good thing! But a self-made barrier to aid you to keep off the booze. Embrace this in your arsenal of tools for your sobriety journey.

Try a month of abstinence.

With the month challenges all around us and the fantastic promotions for sober lives, there has never been a better time to take advantage of the support out there.

Governments are making massive steps to promote healthy lifestyles, charities are on hand to give advice on how to drink more sensibly. Online communities are in full effect and just getting better!

Take advantage of the current social change and approach to alcohol in general. Embrace it!

8. Eat before and in between drinks.

9. Make a plan for cravings.

15. Learn how to say no

saying no to the offers of alcohol

16. If you slip, return to your plan.

Figure out how much you actually drink [[Heading:]] Figure out how much you actually drinkCompetitors who wrote about it:https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/how-to-stop-drinking

Think about why you drink and identify alcohol triggers [[Heading:]] Think about why you drink and identify alcohol triggersCompetitors who wrote about it:https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/how-to-stop-drinking

Moderation management [[Heading:]] Moderation managementCompetitors who wrote about it:https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/how-to-stop-drinking

Involve your loved ones [[Heading:]] Involve your loved onesCompetitors who wrote about it:https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/how-to-stop-drinking

Get rid of your alcohol

make sure you have a supply of alcohol free drinks at home.

Removing alcohol from your home, or around you in general is one of the best pro-active moves you can do to help you drink less.

James Clear is a prominent expert in habit lifestyle – take a look at his website here. Brace yourself though. His approach is awesome and will change your life!

One point he hits upon is changing your enviroment to increase your chances of success, whatever your goals. Using this approach, the less alcohol around your life in general, the less chance you have to actually take a drink.

Replace drinking with a healthier habit

healthy activities to replace drinking alcohol

Throughout the sober community, physical health and exercise is mentioned so many times – and for very good reasons really.

Taking up exercise and quitting alcohol is often like a double-edged approach to tackling your sober journey.

General exercis benefits can include –

  • Immediate Benefits.
  • Weight Management.
  • Reduce Your Health Risk.
  • Strengthen Your Bones and Muscles.
  • Improve Your Ability to do Daily Activities and Prevent Falls.
  • Increase Your Chances of Living Longer.
  • Manage Chronic Health Conditions & Disabilities.
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm

Regardless of your current physical state, by increasing movement in your body will only improve your health. Couple that with getting rid of the powerful poison that is alcohol – you will certainly be on the path to an improved overall healty life.

Conclusion

We have thrown around 6 tips on how to stop drinking so much. These tips have been used and to much success by many.

But maybe these tips are not the ‘one’ for you. Maybe these will not help you find your own alcohol off switch. After all, we are all individual in values, motivation and all the rest. The ‘secret’ to finding how to stop drinking so much alcohol….it is there, it is just finding what works for you.

Some key tips to keep in mind.

First, set yourself a goal to reduce your drinking and track your progress over time.

Developing healthier coping mechanisms such as exercise, meditation or other activities can help prevent cravings for alcohol. It is also important to recognize the triggers for alcohol use and plan ahead for how to manage them.

You may find it useful to create a support system of family, friends and professionals who can provide encouragement and guidance as you work toward reducing your alcohol intake. F

Please do remember that even small changes in behavior can lead to positive results and that it is never too late to seek help if needed.

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The Alcohol Off Switch

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